[SoCal-SERCA] Re: Powersteering Eliminator Installed!

[Tom Paule]

The Random Thoughts Racing Power Steering Removal Kit
is in the car and I really like it. I drove the car up
Azusa Canyon's West fork (which is about 30 miles of
twisty cali canyon) and I must say the car is still a
joy to drive. At first I was unsure if I liked it or
not. I haven't driven a car with manual steering (even
my old Ford Bronco has power steering), so initially I
was a little surprised by the level of increased
effort the steering had. Unless I'm manuvering in a
parking lot and I forgot about no PS, it's not bad at
all. The hardest part to get used to is the increased
level of effort after turn in. I guess I anticipated
the increase effort for initial turn in, but the
increased level when in a turn was more than I
expected. The good news is the level of effort is not
too high to be a problem, it just takes some getting
used to. That and when on the brakes hard the steering
effort raises, too. But these are subtle things that I
can easily adjust to. The car is not as easy to
"flick" into tight bends, but I will never need to
worry about the fluid boiling and having variable
effort steering, either :-)

It also cleared up a *lot* of real estate on the
passenger side of the car, so working on things will
be easier (changing the oil filter become a snap!).

The best part is the pully and bearing assembly is OEM
Nissan, so not only is it top notch, but you can order
it from the dealer in the event it fails (Joel made
the piece that replaces the PS pump and acted as the
tensioner for the water pump).

I'd say it frees up a few hp along the way, too.

So in review, it gives good feel of the road, gives
honest feedback through the wheel, has a top-notch OEM
Nissan pulley, looks bitchin', frees up a few pounds
and a couple ponies, and eliminates the
overheating-prone-variable-effort-power-steering
system and it's pretty inexpensive too!

I'd also go so far as to say it's not unbearable for a
daily driver, but this is a *must* for a race car.

Drop Joel a line and get in line to buy one before the
season starts!

Tom Paule